Untying the Knot: One Year Later
by godlygirl34
Summary: One year later after the events of Untying the Knot, we see where Cruz and Jackson end up with their lives. For more information, please read the original story: Untying the Knot. (Humanized version of Cars).
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I want to thank all the people that read Untying the Knot! I want to thank you all for your kind words and for appreciating the story for what it was. This is part 2 of the story based on popular demand:**

 _"_ _This was so beautiful! I love it so much, please make another one."_

 _"This is really good! It's very emotional and you did a great job!"_

 _"Poor Cruz! Still, this is really well-written. I love the relationship between Lightning and Cruz."_

 _"In life you have people who commit an offense and then try keeping it bottled up for the sake of their own images. A true husband would never physically attack a woman. All Jackson cares about is his reputation more than his married life. The domestic abuse Storm inflicted upon Cruz would of being examined and he'd of been sent down for made this story stand out towards Lightning and Cruz's friendship. Nice one."_

 _"I will be honest, this fic literally broke my heart. I almost had an emotional breakdown while reading it. That being said, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! I especially loved the relationship between Lightning and Cruz. McQueen's reaction to the whole situation gave me serious feels. Again, great job!"_

 _"This is so excellent! My favorite scene was Cruz and Storm in the kitchen when he first comes home-it had this pensive, rigid intensity to it that was viscerally uncomfortable, and when it escalates it's both terrifying and heart-breaking. 333 Cruz, babyyyyy. And Lightning and Cruz in the diner! Great job, love! You did wonderfully with this concept."_

 _"This was an awesome story! I enjoyed it a lot, it honsetly felt so real. The details, and the emotions. Poor Cruz, Jackson treated her likd that for 2 years! Lightning is so caring, he reminds me of Doc. His caringness is like really sweet. Keep up the good work :D"_

 _"Was it just a one-shot or do you plan on continuing it?"_

 **This is just a small sample of the reviews I received. I also want to give a special thanks to SerenaBlackmore98 for giving me some ideas on what I can do:**

 _"Personally, if you want to continue it, I think you should do like 'A year later' type thing. A year after the fact, where is Cruz? Is she happy with her life now? Is she seeing someone new? Still in Radiator Springs? Lightning and Sally's thoughts on how she's doing now? stuff like that._

 _but that's just my opinion_ :)"

 **So without further adieu, here is, "Untying the Knot: One Year Later (Part 1)". Hope you enjoy! (Sorry in advance for the racing scene. I don't do well in describing those. Also, the italics are Cruz's thoughts since the story is told from her point of view).**

* * *

It was the final race of the season. The stakes couldn't be higher. The racing world was about to crown themselves a new champion for the Piston Cup. It was Cruz and Storm, battling it out on the track for a chance to win the new title. Both cars rounded turn four into the final lap of the Dinoco 400.

"And there they go, it's Cruz Ramirez and Jackson Storm! They're bumper to bumper as they approach the finish line!" Bob Cutlass announced as the two cars made their way into the last turn.

"You know what Bob? These two have been at each other's throats since the divorce," Darrell Cartrip said.

"Right you are Darrell. The competition between those two has gotten worse over the past few months."

Cruz was on the inside of the track, while Jackson remained near the wall.

"Not today babe!" Jackson yelled in his car as he veered to the right to push Cruz off the track.

"Uh, uh, uh!" Cruz said as she quickly dodged Jackson and crossed the finish line.

"What a move by Cruz Ramirez, our new Piston Cup Champion!" Bob exclaimed.

"Hoo wee! I know Team Dinoco is proud! Lightning McQueen must be happier than a pig in the mud!" Darrell beamed.

"You got that right! The King must be proud as well. Although McQueen is no longer Cruz's crew chief, he still plays an active role in her career."

Cruz stepped out of the car after she did her regular routine of making doughnuts on the track. She was greeted by a swarm of paparazzi, buzzing with questions about her latest win:

"Cruz! How does it feel to win your third Piston Cup?"

"Do you think you'll be able to win as many Piston Cups as your mentor, Lightning McQueen?"

"How will you be able to maintain your status as a three-time winning Piston Cup Champion?"

Cruz beamed as she happily answered the questions:

"Well first off, I'm super excited about winning my third Piston Cup! Mr. McQueen is a legendary Piston Cup Champion. He won seven Piston Cups. I don't know if I'll be able to win as much as he did, but the sky's the limit. Also, I may not know what the future holds, but I'm hoping to maintain my status as Champion for as long as I keep racing."

Some of the questions got personal:

"Cruz! What actually happened between you and Jackson?"

"We heard allegations of domestic violence. Are these allegations true?"

"Did Jackson get released on bail?"

"Why isn't Jackson in jail now?"

"Are you the only one who Jackson did this to?"

Her excitement turned into grief. Cruz still attempted to maintain her bright smile, but the pain was piercing her chest. Although a year has passed, the sting of the abuse still felt so real. Unfortunately, Jackson didn't spend as much time in prison as Cruz wanted him to. He did spend a brief period of time in prison, but he got released on bail. Cruz was grateful for Sally's services as her attorney on the case, but Sally was only able to do so much. Cruz, Lightning, and Sally did their best to keep the situation out of the public eye. They did manage to keep it private for a while, but the rumors kept circling around in the media. The harsh reality of her and Jackson getting a divorce made tears well up in Cruz's eyes. She tried to blink back the tears as she politely refused to answer any questions pertaining to her past relationship. Before they could ask her anymore questions, Cruz fought her way through the mob with flashing cameras and made her way to the Dinoco building.

On her way there, she saw that Jackson was surrounded by paparazzi as well. Most of the questions had to do with him losing the race, but there was one question that peeked her interest:

"Jackson, there have been some rumors going around about you having a new fiancee. Is that true?" one of the RSN reporters asked.

 _A new fiancee? Who would be dumb enough to go with him after all I went through?_

Jackson gave a smug smile as he turned around to call someone.

"Hey Nat, come over here for a minute!" he said as he pulled Natalie Certain into the ring of flashing cameras.

Cruz was frozen in shock. Her heart was beating rapidly as she felt her throat closing up. Natalie was smiling big for the cameras while Jackson pulled her close to him. He grabbed her by the waist and dipped her in for a kiss on the lips. The crowd went wild. The cameras kept flashing as the reporters fought each other to get a perfect shot. After the kiss, Jackson made eye contact with Cruz for a brief moment. There was no remorse in his eyes. When he saw how heartbroken Cruz looked, he just smiled at her and gave Natalie another make out session. Cruz couldn't take it anymore. She ran away from the scene with her hands covering her face. Her eyes were wet with tears as she ran to the Dinoco section. She ran past the Radiator Springs gang and the racing legends. Smokey and Sally followed behind her as Cruz slammed the bathroom door in their faces.

"Hun, are you okay?" Sally asked as she tried to open the door.

The door was locked and Cruz wasn't answering.

"Cruz can you hear me? You have to go out there and accept your trophy now," Smokey said, hoping the mention of the Piston Cup would get Cruz to perk up.

There was still no answer. Sally put her ear to the door and heard intense sobbing.

"She's really breaking down in there."

"If she doesn't get out soon, we'll just have to let McQueen accept the trophy for her," Smokey said.

That's when it hit Sally. If anyone can get a response out of Cruz, it was Lightning. She ran out of the building to get Lightning. She dodged the paparazzi and the crowds of other racers and their teams. She found Lightning talking and laughing with Cal, Bobby, The King, and Tex. She didn't want to ruin the mood, but Cruz needed her mentor. She ran up to the circle of comrades and grabbed Lightning's arm.

"Excuse me gentlemen but I need Lightning right now," Sally said as she pulled him away from the guys.

"What's going on Sal?" Lightning asked with a confused look.

"It's Cruz. You need to follow me," she said as she led him back into the building. Cal, Bobby, The King, and Tex followed behind them.

They all made their way to the crowd of people near the bathroom door. Smokey was still trying to get an answer from Cruz, but she remained silent.

"Is Cruz alright?" The King asked.

"I don't think so," Lightning said as he rushed over to the locked door.

"Alright everyone I think it's best if we all clear the room and give them some space," Tex said as everyone walked away from the door. Sally stayed behind and sat on the small couch in the hallway near the door.

* * *

Lightning leaned against the door to hear Cruz's bitter sobs.

"Cruz?" Lightning called out to her, assuming that his voice would get her attention.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"M-Mr. McQueen?" Cruz answered as she choked through her sobs.

"Yeah it's me. Can I come in?"

There was another brief period of silence. Cruz was breathing heavily as she tried to calm her shaky breaths.

"I...I d-don't... want...y-you...to see...m-me...like this," she said, choking through the shaky breathing.

"Cruz please let me in. I don't care what you look like."

"G-give...me...a minute," she said as she tried to control her sobs.

Lightning looked at Sally. "What happened to her?" he asked.

"I don't-"

Sally was interrupted by a news report on the television mounted on the hallway wall.

"This is Shannon Spokes with the latest news on the Racing Sports Network. The top story tonight is Cruz Ramirez winning her third Piston Cup at the Dinoco 400! She still has yet to receive her trophy at the award ceremony in a few minutes. Congratulations on a job well done! Her ex-husband Jackson Storm also made some headlines tonight with his new fiancee, Natalie Certain! Is Jackson moving on way too fast? It's too soon to tell, but I know Cruz must be fuming about this. More on these stories when we return."

Lightning and Sally stared at each other in shock. A few seconds later, the lock on the door made a clicking sound. Cruz slowly opened the door to let Lightning in. He entered the room to find Cruz sitting on a small couch in the corner of the bathroom (it was a pretty glamorous bathroom, seeing that it belongs to Dinoco. Picture the bathrooms in Broadway). She was covering her face as she continued to weep. Lightning rushed over to her and sat next to her on the couch. Cruz was sobbing uncontrollably as she covered her face with both hands. Her breathing was short and shaky and her body was trembling.

"Cruz, listen to me. You need to pull yourself together. You need to breathe," Lightning said as he grabbed her hands and slowly lowered them away from her face.

He saw her big, brown eyes covered in the glow of her tears. The corners of her eyes were red and the tears stained her cheeks. She continued to breathe rapidly as she wiped the trail of snot from her nose with her hand. Lightning gave her a very concerned look as he moved closer to her on the couch.

"I-I told you that I d-didn't want y-you to see me like t-this," she said as she tried to speak through the sobbing.

Lightning put both of his arms around Cruz, giving her a side hug. He placed both hands on her upper arms, making sure that she was secure.

"He...left...me. He never loved me. He threw me away like I was a piece of trash!" Cruz said as she began to bellow with sorrow.

As she continued her bawling, her body kept jerking back from the force of her weeping. Lightning held his grip on her upper arms to keep her from falling off the couch.

"Whoa, Cruz! Take it easy!" Lightning yelled as he tried to calm her down. "Listen to me. Take a deep breath."

Soon, he and Cruz began to take deep breaths together. They repeated this until Cruz was able to control her sobbing. When Lightning saw that she was finally calm, he let go of her upper arms and just sat beside her. It got very quiet. The silence lasted for a few seconds until Lightning remembered that he had to get Cruz back outside in time for her to receive her Piston Cup.

"Cruz, tonight is all about you. You won your third Piston Cup today! Are you really going to let Jackson steal your spotlight?"

"I don't care about the spotlight or the trophy. He broke my heart into a million pieces and he doesn't even care!" Cruz said as she banged the arm of the couch.

"Cruz I know what you're feeling, but you can't let this upset you like that."

"He used me. He took my love for granted and I was too stupid to notice!"

"Cruz don't do this to yourself. It's not worth it."

"I let him use me and abuse me for fours years in our marriage and-"

"And you will get through this. Look, a wise person once told me that you could use anything negative as fuel to push through to the positive. She was such a great motivator. I think you would know her very well."

Cruz gave a small chuckle.

"Ah, there's that smile I've been waiting for!" Lightning said with a grin.

"That was a long time ago," she said as she wiped her tears.

"But it's still true. Cruz, are you going to push through this?"

Cruz stared at her mentor for a while and thought about his words. She's been telling her students that for years when she was a trainer. It was time that she took her own advice.

"I'll try," she said as she got up from the couch.

Lightning gave her a big smile. "That's my girl," he said as they walked out of the room together.

* * *

Just as she promised Lightning, Cruz tried her best to suppress her raw emotions while she accepted her award. She refused to answer any questions pertaining to Jackson, and allowed the focus to be on her victory instead. After the award ceremony, Cruz rushed off the stage and made her way back to the Dinoco building. On her way there, she bumped into Natalie. The two exchanged a long, awkward stare as the silence loomed over them.

"Hello Cruz," Natalie said as she regained her composure.

Cruz tried her hardest not to scream or punch Natalie in the face. After all, she was standing face to face with the woman who stole her man's heart. She took a deep breath and mustered up the best smile that she could.

"Hi Natalie," she said in a shaky tone.

"Well, I should say congratulations on your win tonight. It was well deserved."

"Thank you," Cruz said as she tried so hard not to roll her eyes.

"Look, I hope that there are no hard feelings between us. You know, considering the situation," Natalie said as she waved her left hand in Cruz's face, showing off the engagement ring.

Cruz scoffed as she shook her head. "Natalie, I have to warn you: with guys like Jackson, you have to watch your back. Believe me, I know," she said as she took off her racing jacket, revealing the scars on her forearms.

Natalie froze for a moment, looking at the injuries that Cruz sustained from Jackson. The domestic violence allegations turned out to be true. She couldn't deny the evidence that was right in front of her. Although she felt sorry for Cruz, she couldn't tolerate the disrespect.

"Look Cruz, I'm really sorry that this happened to you. Just keep in mind that you can show me your little battle scars, but that doesn't mean that the same thing would happen to me," Natalie said with a smug grin.

Anger was raging in Cruz's chest. Although she was fuming to the point of tears, she didn't dare to let Natalie see her cry.

"Have a nice life Natalie. I hope it all works out for you."

Cruz walked away without giving Natalie a chance to respond. When she was a good distance away, Cruz started to cry as she made her way back to the building. She quickly wiped her tears as she approached the cheering crowd of the Radiator Springs townies and the racing legends. She walked up to Lightning, who was smiling from ear to ear.

"I am so proud of you," he said.

"We all are," Sally added with a warm smile.

"Thanks guys. I really want to go home now," Cruz said as she tried hard to fight back the tears.

"Are you sure? We're having an after party at Cal's place if you want to come," Lightning said.

"Yeah I'm sure."

"I'll take her home. I need to get some rest myself," Sally said as she motioned for Cruz to follow her.

"Sal are you sure you want to drive all the way back to Radiator Springs at this time of night?" Lightning asked with a look of concern.

"Don't worry about it. You go on and have fun. We'll see you guys in the morning."

"Alright. Be careful out there," Lightning said as he and Sally shared a kiss on the lips.

"We will. Come on Cruz!" Sally said as she and Cruz left the stadium.

* * *

It was a quiet ride for the most part. Sally had some soft music playing on the radio while Cruz stared out the window with tears in her eyes. She just couldn't believe that Jackson moved on so fast. She also couldn't believe that Natalie had the nerve to disregard her pain like that. Meanwhile, as Cruz continued to dwell on these painful thoughts, Jackson was at his new apartment while Natalie was making food in the kitchen. Jackson stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching Natalie stir the pasta on the stove. She glanced over in his direction and saw him staring at her with intensity.

"What?" she said as she continued to stir the pot.

"What did I do to deserve such a beautiful woman like you?" Jackson asked as he made his way over to Natalie.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and began to kiss her repeatedly on her neck.

"Jackson stop! I'm trying to cook dinner," she said with a giggle.

"I'll be waiting," he said as he kissed her on the cheek and exited the kitchen.

Natalie couldn't get the image of Cruz's scars out of her mind. Despite making her rude remark earlier, deep down she knew that Cruz could be right. She needed to make sure that Jackson loved her. She needed to prove to him that unlike Cruz, she was no girl to be messed with. She needed to make sure that this situation was real. She needed confirmation from Jackson.

"Hey Jackson!" she called to him.

"Yeah babe?" he answered as he came running into the kitchen. "You changed your mind?" he said with a smirk as he went to kiss Natalie again.

She stuck her hand out in front of her and stopped him right in his tracks.

"Babe, what's going on?" he asked with a confused look on his face.

"Jackson I need to know something."

"Yeah sweetheart, anything you want to know I'll tell you."

Natalie bit her lip. She didn't know how to ask him about a subject like this. What if she brought up old wounds that could potentially ruin their own relationship. Was this a good idea? She just had to know for sure.

"Jackson, did you beat Cruz?" Natalie said in a timid tone.

Jackson stepped back in shock. "Is that what she told you?" he asked in anger.

Natalie was equally shocked by his reaction. "It doesn't matter what she told me. I want to hear it from you. Did you beat her?"

"Natalie, Cruz and I were incompatible. You and me, we're different. We-"

"That's not what I asked," Natalie said, interrupting him.

Jackson was fuming with anger. He never thought that his past would come back to haunt him like this.

"So what if I did? She had it coming. She was way too pushy anyway!"

"So you did beat her."

"Yes Nat! What do you want me to say?! She brought it on herself!" Jackson said as he banged his fist on the kitchen counter top.

Natalie backed away from him in shock. She shook her head and started to leave the kitchen.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Jackson said as he grabbed her right upper arm.

"Jackson stop! You're hurting me!" Natalie yelled as she took a metal spoon and slapped Jackson in the face with it.

He screamed in pain as he released his grip on her arm. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" he yelled as he held his face in pain.

"The engagement is off!" Natalie said as she took the ring off and left the apartment. She left Jackson hunched over the table, holding his face in sheer pain and embarrassment.

* * *

Sally and Cruz were still driving on the open road. It started to pour as Sally activated the windshield wipers on her car. Cruz was still staring out the window, watching the raindrops fall as fast as her own tears. Sally had enough of the silence. It was getting a little too overbearing.

"You've been sniffling for the past hour. You're gonna make me run out of tissues," Sally said as she opened the compartment between her and Cruz and handed her a small packet of tissues.

Cruz took the pack and blew her nose. "Thank you," she whispered as she went back to staring at the window.

"You know, for someone who won her third Piston Cup, you sure are crying a lot. I know those aren't tears of joy," Sally said as she glanced over at Cruz.

Cruz didn't respond. She just sniffled even more.

"So, are you going to tell me what's eating you or are you going to make me patronize you with small talk?"

Cruz sniffled again. "I'm sure you know what happened already Mrs. Sally."

"Yeah, but I want to hear it from you. How are you feeling about it?"

Cruz finally turned from the window to face Sally. "Do I need to explain?! Jackson ripped my heart out of my chest! He abused me and almost got away with it! He took advantage of me and it was all my fault! Maybe if I would've been a more assertive wife he wouldn't think that I was a push over. Maybe if I wasn't always nagging him or making him feel like a loser, maybe I would still be married right now. Maybe Natalie's right. Maybe she won't get abused because unlike me, she is able to defend herself! God, why do I have to be so dam _weak_?!"

Sally quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road.

"Cruz, let me tell you something: I'm not Lightning," she said in a stern tone.

Cruz looked at her in confusion. "I think I should know that by now."

"No, listen to what I'm saying. I'm not Lightning, meaning that I don't do pity parties. He loves them. As soon as he sees a tear drop fall from my eyes, he is running to come and comfort me. He hugs me, holds me, kisses me, and tells me that everything is going to be okay. He does the same thing for you too. That's what you want right now. You want someone to hug you and hold you and tell you that everything is going to be okay. Cruz, I think that you're way past that stage. I'm more into giving people reality checks, and honey I think you're in need of one."

Cruz remained silent and gave Sally a somber look. Her words were cutting right into her soul. Although it was tough to hear, she knew that Sally cared about her and wanted to see her get through this.

"Hun, I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible: you need to grow up. Whether you like it or not, Jackson moved on. Believe me, I've had my share of heartbreaks and disappointments, but eventually I got over them. Jackson abused you for two years in your marriage. He hurt you, not the other way around. I need you to know that none of this is your fault! Cruz, you are stronger than you think and braver than you can imagine. Don't allow Storm to have that much power over you. I know that by the grace of God, you will make it through this. Just hold on to hope. I care about you. Lightning and all the townsfolk care about you. You are supported every step of the way."

Cruz sat there in awe. She didn't realize how grateful she was to have such a dynamic woman in her life.

"Thank you Mrs. Sally. I needed to hear that," Cruz said with a smile.

"Anytime honey, and please just call me Sally. And promise me that you won't throw anymore pity parties. You don't need them anymore," Sally said with a smile.

"Yeah. I guess you're right," Cruz said as she started to cry tears of joy.

"Now I think it's time for a hug," Sally said as she and Cruz hugged each other tightly.

 _TO BE CONTINUED..._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hello everyone! This is part 3 of the Untying the Knot series (to get caught up, I suggest you read the original story and part 2 of that) and I want to thank you all again for your support. I just want to briefly say that writing this story has been very therapeutic for me. Here, I am able to process my own emotions and personal struggles through Cruz. I must warn you that she will not be her normal, bubbly self. In this story (which takes a more somber approach), Cruz is still processing through her emotions and is trying to navigate her own healing process. Once again, the italics are the thoughts of Cruz and the bold indicates flashbacks. I hope you guys enjoy it!

* * *

It was a tranquil morning in Radiator Springs. The sun was slowly rising in the amber, desert sky while the townies were making their way over to Flo's V8 Cafe. Lightning and Sally were in their room, cuddling with each other in the bed. Sally placed her head on Lightning's chest while Lightning laid on his back, wrapping his arms around her in a warm hug. He smiled as he looked down at his gorgeous wife. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back with his left hand. Sally swooned as she felt his tender touch. She looked up to see Lightning gazing at her in awe.

"What?" she said as she stared at her husband.

"Oh nothing. I'm just thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life," he said as he kissed her on the cheek.

"That's right! Don't you forget it!" Sally said with a smile as she smacked his chest with the back of her hand.

"I don't ever want to let you go," Lightning said as he hugged her tighter.

"Well, you're going to have to. I have a lot of work to do," she said as she sat up in the bed.

Lightning groaned as he pulled the covers off and sat on his side of the bed. Sally also got out of the bed and put her robe on over her silk night gown. She looked over at her husband, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and staring at the wall in a daze.

"You okay?" she asked as she finished tying her robe.

Lightning got up from the bed and leaned his body against the wall. "You know, I'm worried about Cruz," he said, looking away from Sally.

"Me too," she said as she went over to Lightning and gave him a hug.

"She's been so distant lately. She stays in her room most of the time so I barely see her around anymore. She's not even eating," Lightning said as he shook his head.

"Yeah that's what I'm worried about too. That's not healthy. We need to let her know that," Sally said as she made her way to the kitchen with Lightning following behind.

Sally went over the stove and started to make some oatmeal. When she turned around to get some cinnamon from the cupboard, Lightning was right behind her. He grabbed her waist and started to kiss her on the lips. They both kissed each other passionately as Lightning lifted Sally into his arms and onto the counter. Sally held Lightning's face with her hands as he started to kiss her neck. She closed her eyes, enjoying the affection. Cruz slowly made her way to the kitchen. Her head was throbbing as she stood in the doorway to catch herself. Her eyes flew open as she saw Lightning and Sally.

 _Look at these two! Get a room guys!_ Although she was a little disgusted, Cruz couldn't help but marvel at how much those two loved each other. Seeing them made her think about her and Jackson.

 **Jackson and Cruz were holding hands as they walked along the Hawaiian beach. Jackson stopped walking and held Cruz's waist. The warm summer breeze brushed over them as they both looked out to the ocean view. Jackson brought her close to him as they looked away from the shoreline and stared at each other.**

"I love you baby," Jackson said as he leaned in for a kiss.

"I love you too," Cruz said as she returned the affection.

 **The blissful couple locked lips in the summer sun. Jackson held her tight, while Cruz closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of their love.**

Just the thought of their past marriage made her head hurt more. She closed her eyes as her head started to pound.

After a few minutes, Sally opened her eyes and saw Cruz standing in the doorway.

"Oh!" Sally screamed as she rapidly tapped Lightning's back.

"What?" Lightning said as he stopped kissing her neck and turned around to see Cruz. "Cruz! Sorry you had to see that," he said with a nervous laugh.

"Don't mind me. I'm just going to get some tea," Cruz said as she made her way to the cupboard.

"I'm making oatmeal. You can have some if you want," Sally said as she came down from the counter.

"No thanks. I'm good," Cruz said as she put the kettle on the stove.

"How are you feeling?" Lightning asked as he poured some cereal into a bowl.

"I'm okay. My head hurts but I'll be fine. I actually have something to tell you guys," Cruz said as she sat at the dining table.

Both Lightning and Sally gave Cruz their undivided attention. The room went silent as they stopped what they were doing and stared at her.

"I want to thank you both for everything that you've done for me over this past year. I want you guys to know that I'll be moving out soon," Cruz said with a crooked smile.

"What?!" Sally and Lightning said simultaneously.

Lightning started asking multiple questions in quick succession. "Where are you going to go? Do you have a place to stay? When are you leaving? Why are you leaving? Do you-"

"Stickers! I'm sure all our questions will be answered if we give her a chance to talk," Sally said, interrupting Lightning's interrogation session. "Go ahead sweetie."

Based on Lightning's reaction, Cruz's heart began to race. She knew he would act that way. She swallowed the lump in her throat, took a deep breath, and started to explain.

"Well, I plan on moving back with my family in Texas. We have a lot of history and some unresolved issues, but I'm sure they will understand once I explain the situation to them," Cruz said as she nervously rubbed her arms.

"Wait a minute, they don't know about this?" Lightning asked as his eyes widened.

Cruz bit her lip. "I never got around to telling them. I was too afraid."

"Cruz, no one is kicking you out of here. I told you that you can stay here as long as you need to," Lightning said in a soft tone.

"I just don't want you guys to sacrifice your happiness and your lives on account of helping me with my issues," Cruz said as the kettle hissed. "My tea is ready," she said as she got up to make her tea.

Lightning and Sally just stared at each other. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"Hun, we're not sacrificing our happiness. We chose to help you. Yes we sacrificed our time to do so, but we didn't mind at all," Sally said as she sat down at the table in front of Cruz while Lightning remained standing in the corner of the room.

"That's the problem. That choice almost cost you guys your jobs!"

"Cruz-"

"It's true Mr. McQueen! You took multiple semesters off from your racing school just to help me make sure that the situation stayed private. Mrs. Sally, you could've been working on other cases but you took up my case instead."

"Hun, again, we chose to do this. I am Lightning's attorney. I work for him and he allowed me to represent you in that case. Look, I don't want you to take this the wrong way but we are very concerned about how you're handling all of this. I know its not up to me, but honestly, I think you should stay until you finally get yourself together. If your family doesn't know about this,explaining the situation to them would only open up old wounds."

"Cruz, we care about you. Heck, we love you and we want to make sure that you're okay."

"I'm fine Mr. McQueen."

"Are you?" he asked as Cruz slumped into her seat.

She wasn't fine. She was still hurt. She just didn't want to admit it. The denial was comforting to her.

"I just didn't want you guys to worry."

"Honey, we're not worried. We're concerned," Sally said.

"You know "concerned" is just a fancy way of saying worried right?" Cruz said with a huff.

"Cruz, you haven't eaten in weeks. You lock yourself in your room all the time and you barely say anything about how you feel. I'm sorry but this isn't a healthy way to process this," Lightning said as he stared at her.

Cruz could see the worry in Lightning's blue eyes. It pained her to see both him and Sally look at her as if she was about to die. She lost a lot of weight due to her starvation. She couldn't stand this.

"I'm sorry guys, but that's the way things have to be. I plan to move out by tomorrow evening," Cruz said as she left the kitchen.

Sally and Lightning just stared at each other in silence. They didn't know how to help her at this point.

* * *

The next day, Cruz was sitting on the couch in the Cozy Cone Motel lobby, flipping through the channels on the television. She was swallowed in a hooded sweatsuit. Her clothes were literally falling off of her body. The room was dark due to her shutting all the blinds and turning off all the lights. Sally was in her office while Lightning was still out for a drive. The TV screen provided the only source of light in the area. Soon, she heard footsteps in the hallway. They were getting louder as the person entered into the lobby. Cruz's eyes were glued to the TV screen. She didn't notice or care that there was someone in the room with her.

"Why is it so dark in here?" the voice said, as the person passed in front of the TV screen and went over to the windows.

Cruz screamed as the light from the windows darted into the room. The person screamed as they turned around. Cruz attempted to shield her eyes from the brightness when she saw Lightning near the windows holding two containers of ice cream (he was literally speeding to get it home before they melted).

"Mr. McQueen?" Cruz asked as she blinked to clear her vision.

"Cruz? What are you doing in here? Aren't you supposed to be packing? You're leaving this evening right?" Lightning said as he sat next to her on the couch.

"Um, I changed my mind about moving," Cruz said as she pulled the hood over her head.

"Oh, well that's good to hear," he said with a smile.

"Yeah I guess so," Cruz said as she slumped in her seat.

"Well, I was thinking about you and I wanted to get you something before you left. Here you go," Lightning said as he handed Cruz a container full of dulce de leche ice cream.

Cruz stared at the container. "Where did you get this?"

Lightning was confused. You'd think that Cruz would be jumping for joy having her favorite ice cream in her hands (after all, he almost got a speeding ticket on the way home) instead she just sat there in silence staring at the container in a daze.

"Um, I was driving around and stopped at an ice cream shop nearby," Lightning said, staring at Cruz with a bewildered look on his face. "Isn't that your favorite?" he asked, hoping she would just take the lid off and eat the ice cream.

Cruz was in a trance. She continued to stare at the container as if it wasn't in her hand. Her body was sitting on the couch, but her mind and soul were lost in another dimension.

"What? You don't want it?" Lightning asked as he tried to take the ice cream away from her.

Cruz was pulled back into reality when she felt Lightning's hand brush against her forearm.

"Huh? Oh no, it's fine Mr. McQueen. I appreciate the thought but I'm not in an ice cream mood right now," Cruz said as she gave the container back to Lightning.

Lightning just stared at Cruz. Something was very off about her. She was like a zombie. He saw how the sleeves of her hoodie were longer than her own arms. He saw the dead look in her eyes and the paleness in her skin. He also saw the faded bruises on her face and hands. He knew that this situation was ripping her up inside. It was eating away at her body; he could only imagine what it was doing to her soul.

"Alright then, it's in the freezer if you need it," Lightning said as he got up from the couch.

Cruz just sighed and continued to flip through the channels. When Lightning came back, he sat down on the couch and started to eat his ice cream. Cruz didn't even look in his direction.

"You know what? There's nothing good on TV anyway. Here, put it on something that you want to watch," she said as she handed the remote to Lightning and got up to leave.

"Wait!" Lightning said as he set his ice cream on the table in front of him. "Come and sit. I want to talk to you," he said as she patted the cushion that Cruz was sitting on.

"Mr. McQueen, I'd rather not-"

"Just sit down please," Lightning said in a stern tone.

Cruz dropped herself on the couch and gave him a glare.

"Good. Now take the hood off," he said as Cruz rolled her eyes. "I just want to see your beautiful face," he said with a crooked smile.

"You mean my ugly banged up face?!" Cruz yelled as she ripped the hood off of her head.

Lightning winced. "I don't think it's any of those things," he said as Cruz rolled her eyes again.

"I don't know what you're looking at but all I see is pain when I look at this face," she said as she slumped in the couch.

"You know, I don't like this," Lightning said with a frown.

Cruz finally turned to Lightning and looked him in the eye. "You don't like what?"

"I don't like what you're doing Cruz. You don't eat anymore, you isolate yourself, and now you're trying to put up a wall between us. What's going on?"

Cruz could see the worry in his eyes. Seeing Lightning worried made her heart hurt even more.

 _I did not want this. The last thing I wanted was to hurt him in this way. This infection is spreading and I don't have a cure._

"I'm sorry Mr. McQueen. I didn't want to drag you into this mess more than I already have," she said as her lips quivered.

She could feel the burning in her nose as the tears started to form.

"What are you talking about?"

"Mr. McQueen, I'm just not in a talking mood right now," Cruz said as she wiped her tears.

"Cruz believe me, I've been where you are."

"How can you say that? You've never had an abusive husband!" Cruz said as more tears trickled down her face.

"No, but I've had a traumatic experience happen in my life before. After my crash, I was just as depressed as you are right now. I did all of the same things you're doing. I didn't eat, I locked myself in Doc's garage for four months, and I didn't want contact with anyone. I know what it's like to carry around that heaviness within yourself. You can talk to me Cruz. I think it would help if you just talk about it."

"Talk about what Mr. McQueen?! The fact that it's been a year and I'm still not over me and Jackson? Or the fact that he was able to move on and I'm stuck reliving the past everyday? Or the fact that you and Mrs. Sally have the kind of relationship that I thought Jackson and I would have? Or-"

"Wait a minute. Does our relationship bother you?" Lightning asked, feeling guilty about contributing to Cruz's pain.

"No Mr. McQueen. Don't get me wrong, I love you and Mrs. Sally. I admire the love that you have for each other and it just makes me wish that I had that same kind of love with Jackson. Seeing you guys just reminds me of how much of a failure my marriage was. When I see you two, I see genuine love. That's the love that I crave but can't have," Cruz said as she buried her face in her hands.

"Is that why you wanted to leave?" Lightning asked in a soft tone.

"Yes. I didn't want you guys to stop loving each other on my account, so I just thought I should leave. I thought I was ruining your marriage," Cruz said as she looked away from Lightning.

"Cruz you are not ruining our marriage. You're just going through a rough time in your life and you just need to give yourself some time to heal," Lightning said as he started to rub Cruz's back.

Cruz moved over, rejecting his embrace. She felt like she didn't deserve his kindness.

"I'm never getting married again," she said as she put the hood back over her head.

"Don't say that."

"No it's true! Back where I'm from, marriage is a one shot deal. If you get divorced, you can't re-marry unless your ex-spouse is dead. It was my one shot and I blew it once again!" Cruz said as she banged her fist on the table.

"Cruz, you shouldn't close your heart off to the possibility. Things could change."

"Yeah, sure they can," she said as she got up. "I'm going to go run some laps around the Butte. I have a race in a few days," she said as she turned to leave.

"You mind if I come with you?"

"No that's okay. I think I need some time to clear my mind."

"Cruz, please don't try and isolate yourself from the people that care about you. Take it from me, it doesn't help."

"I understand that Mr. McQueen, but talking about this stupid situation just makes everything _worse,"_ she said, blinking back some tears.

"That's not true. I'm here if you ever want to talk."

"Thanks anyway but I don't think I ever want to talk about this again. Enjoy your ice cream," she said as she left the room.

Lightning sighed, wondering how his bright and bubbly girl turned into this person. She evolved into a hollow being that he didn't recognize. It hurt him deeply to see that she wanted nothing to do with him. Of course he knew that he couldn't take it too personally (after all, this is just a phase in the depressive state) but he couldn't stand the barriers that Cruz put between them. If he could take all her pain away he would do it in a heartbeat. Some things in life just aren't that simple.

* * *

A few days later, Cruz took home the gold at the end of another successful race. Although she was dealing with some emotional turmoil behind the scenes, she still kept smiling to keep up appearances for the cameras. After she accepted her trophy and performed for the press, she was ready to head to Mack so she could go home.

"Ms. Ramirez! I need to see you in my office right now," a voice called out to Cruz as she was heading back to the trailer.

Cruz sighed as she turned around to see who was calling her. She turned to see Natalie standing in the parking lot with her arms waving in the air.

"I can see you Natalie," Cruz said as she made her way over to Natalie.

"Great. I was hoping to catch you before you left."

"What do you want? You need me to help you pick out flowers for your wedding?" Cruz said as she rolled her eyes.

"Why don't we talk about this in my office. It's more private there," Natalie said as she saw the crowds of people passing by.

"I'd rather not," Cruz said as she turned to leave.

Natalie grabbed Cruz's arm. "Please Cruz, it's important."

Cruz sighed as she followed Natalie into her office. Cruz slammed the door behind her while she remained standing in the corner.

"Have a seat," Natalie said as she sat behind her desk.

"I'd rather stand," Cruz said as she rolled her eyes. "Jackson hates orchids by the way. You're welcome," she said as she folded her arms.

"Forget the flowers. The wedding is off," Natalie said she she shuffled some papers on her desk.

"What did you just say?" Cruz said as she finally sat down in front of Natalie.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I called off the engagement."

"What? Why? And what does that have to do with me?"

Natalie started tearing up. "You were right about him Cruz. He did this to me a few weeks ago," she said as she took off her suit jacket to reveal the large bruise on her upper arm.

Cruz was stunned. After all these years, she thought that she was the only one that Jackson loved to abuse. She always thought that she was too weak to defend herself and that the same thing would never happen to Natalie. Part of her wanted to scream for joy, knowing that she was right all along, but another part of her was truly sorry for Natalie.

"Natalie I- I had no idea. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. Now that we know that the domestic violence allegations are true, we can finally expose him to make sure that he never does this to anyone else."

Cruz's eyes widened. "Expose him?" she said as she shifted around in her seat.

"Yes Cruz! Do you want him to get away with this?"

"Look Natalie, I'm just as upset as you are but I think we should handle this privately."

"Why? He's not going to hurt you if this gets out to the public."

"Yeah but how would you look in the eyes of the press after they saw you hook up with another woman's abusive husband? If you come out with this story, what makes you think that the media will be on your side?"

"Are you kidding me Cruz? It sounds like you want to protect Jackson!"

"I'm not protecting him! Think about it Natalie, when I showed you my bruises, you didn't want to listen to me. If I tried to warn you and you didn't listen, why would the world be on your side? They'll only blame you for being with him after our divorce."

"I can't believe you Cruz. I thought that you were smarter than this," Natalie said as she took a sip of her water.

"Don't judge me Natalie. You have no idea about the lengths that I went through to make sure that he went to jail. You don't know about it because I decided not to handle it in public. Sometimes bringing things to the media makes everything worse."

Natalie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew that the press could be nasty and had the ability to blow things out of proportion, but something about Cruz seemed off. Natalie could see it in her eyes.

"You're still in love with him aren't you," Natalie said as she stared at Cruz.

The tears were rushing through her eyelids. Cruz slammed both hands on the desk and got up to leave. Natalie rushed over to the door, blocking Cruz from leaving.

"Uh, uh, uh! You are not getting away that easily."

"Get out of my way Natalie!"

"Just answer the question Cruz. Do you still love Jackson?"

Cruz felt like she was about to have a heart attack. She _hated_ what Jackson did to her. She hated that she wasn't assertive enough to protect herself. She hated living in fear for two years of her marriage. She hated keeping the abuse a secret from her loved ones. She hated all those days where she felt so close to death. She hated seeing her bruises in the mirror every morning. She hated this depressive state that she was in. She hated to see that Lightning and Sally were so worried about her well being. Even now, their worried expressions flashed in her mind. She hated the excruciating physical, emotional, and psychological pain that Jackson caused her. Her whole world was shattered. Her entire persona was fading out of existence. Her relationships were crumbling before her eyes. All of this suffering happened because of him. To add insult to injury, he moved on with someone else and didn't even care about her feelings. As far as she's concerned, _Cruz_ _hated Jackson Storm._

Cruz broke down in front of Natalie. She bawled like there was no tomorrow. "I don't love him! I just loved what we had together!" she said as she choked through the sobs. "I loved the deep connection that I thought we had. I loved the long walks on the beach. I loved the cuddles on cold nights. I loved the fantasy that we built together. Never in a million years would I dream of missing Jackson. I just miss the love that we shared in the beginning."

Natalie gave Cruz a quick hug. "I get that. Cruz what you experienced wasn't love. You deserve better than that. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this. I also won't talk to the press about this situation. I think you need your privacy," Natalie said with a smile.

"Thank you," Cruz said as she wiped her tears and left the office.

Although she and Natalie were two very different people, they still shared a dynamic connection.

 _TO BE CONTINUED..._


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hello guys! I know it's been a while since you've received an update from me, but here I am! I haven't abandoned this story, I've just been very busy with school and going through a lot of emotional valleys (this story is so therapeutic!).Here is part 4 of the Untying the Knot series. As always, the italics are a character's thoughts. Also, just a heads up, in this chapter I headcanon that Cruz is a "religious" person (mainly influenced by Christianity), so God will be mentioned. Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

The darkness of the night sky covered the town like a black cloak. Not a soul was stirring in the quiet town. All of the townsfolk were asleep, including Lightning, Sally, and Cruz. Cruz was tossing and turning in her bed. Small beads of sweat covered her forehead as she slowly opened her eyes. Suddenly, she felt someone's hand over her mouth. The person had a strong grip on her jaw. They squeezed it to prevent her from screaming. Cruz froze with shock when she saw Jackson towering over her. Her muffled screams filled the air as she tried to fight back. Jackson sat on top of her chest to keep her from moving her arms. She wanted to bite his hand but she didn't know how to escape from his weight on her body. He leaned forward, making direct eye contact with her. He grinned as he saw the fear in her brown eyes.

"Shh, it's okay baby. I'm here to take you home. All you have to do is go quietly," he said as he took his hand off of her mouth.

After a few minutes of silence, Cruz screamed while Jackson slapped her and put his hand back over her mouth. She continued to scream as she woke up from her nightmare. She sat straight up on the bed as she frantically patted her jawline. She was breathing heavily as she surveyed the room for anything out of the ordinary. As she got up to look out her bedroom window, she knocked over some books that were on her nightstand. She jumped at the sound of the books hitting the floor. She raced to pack all the books back on the nightstand. As she picked up her journal, a small, yellow envelope fell out of the book. She placed the book to the side as she picked up the envelope. She stared at the envelope with confusion. "For Cruz" written on the front in her handwriting. Her eyes widened as she opened the envelope and began to read the letter inside:

 _Dear future Cruz,_

 _If you are reading this, I want to say congratulations on surviving your first year without Jackson. This letter was written by you and for you. I am currently writing this letter in the Cozy Cone Motel. As you know, Mr. McQueen and Sally helped me move out of my house and allowed me to stay with them for as long as I needed to. Future me, I have something to tell you. Although it doesn't seem like it right now, I need you to know that God sees, knows, and is deeply concerned about everything that you are going through. I need you to know that none of this is your fault. Hear me when I say that God has a divine plan for your life. It is a good plan, complete with thoughts of peace and not of evil. You need to ask God to help you through this. I know that you haven't spoken to Him since you were a little girl (who went to church with her family). You need to ask Him to help you through this. You need to ask Him to give you the strength to forgive Jackson for what he did to you. Future me, I need you to be strong. I want you to know that I am proud of your progress and I know that God is too. Just be gentle with yourself and allow Mr. McQueen, Sally, and the rest of the family to shower you with unconditional love. You need that kind of love now more than ever. I love you future me and I hope you take this letter very seriously._

 _P.S. You need to eat something because you must be starving!_

 _Love,_

 _Cruz from the past_

Cruz stared at the letter for a few minutes. She couldn't believe that she forgot about writing this letter to herself. She cried as she whispered a prayer to God. Her faith may have been shaken, but she knew deep down inside that God would hear and answer her prayers (even if He doesn't answer in the way that she expects Him to).

The next morning, Lightning and Sally were in the hotel's kitchen, making themselves some breakfast. Lightning was pouring himself some cereal while Sally stirred pancake mix in a bowl.

"Good morning guys," Cruz said with a smile as she made her way into the kitchen.

Lightning and Sally stared at each other in silence, shocked by Cruz's gleeful mood.

"Uh, good morning, Cruz. You seem to be in a good mood," Lightning said as he tried to get over his shock.

"Yeah, I guess I am," Cruz said as she went to the refrigerator.

Lightning and Sally continued to stare at each other in silence. Cruz lifted her head out of the refrigerator and looked at them.

"Why is it so quiet? The last time I was in here, you guys were on top of each other," Cruz said with a hearty laugh.

They both remained silent. They just didn't recognize the girl that was standing in front of them. After months of crying and isolation, Cruz was finally in their presence, smiling and laughing as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"You guys are really starting to creep me out. What's the problem and why are you staring at me like that?" she asked as she poured some orange juice into a cup.

"Well, uh, I guess we're just-"

"We're just surprised to see you like this," Sally said, interrupting her husband's explanation. "We're happy for you, sweetie. I don't know what happened, but whatever it was, I'm glad you're starting to feel better," she said with a gentle smile.

Cruz beamed with excitement. "Thank you, Sally. You know, I have something that I wanted to tell you guys but I never got around to it."

"What is it?" Lightning asked as he put a spoonful of cereal in his mouth.

"Well, a few days ago, after the race in Dallas, Natalie came over to me and made me go into her office. She sat me down and told me that she called off the engagement with Jackson because he abused her too."

"What?!" Lightning and Sally said in unison.

"Yup. She showed me the bruises on her upper arm and they looked very severe," Cruz said as she folded her arms.

"What is with that guy?!" Lightning yelled.

"Calm down, Stickers. I don't mean to sound insensitive, but she should've seen the writing on the wall. If I were her and I knew about the domestic violence allegations, I would try my best to stay out of that situation."

"You're right, Sally. She and Jackson were just trying to get back at me. Even when I tried to warn her about my abuse, she didn't take me seriously," Cruz said as she sat at the table.

"Well I guess she learned her lesson," Sally said as she shook her head in disbelief.

"That's it. Something needs to be done about this!" Lightning yelled as he got up from the table, grabbed his jacket, and headed for the front door.

"Where are you going?" Cruz asked.

"I'm going out," he said with a huff.

"Going out to do what exactly?" Sally asked as she tried to follow him to the door.

"I'm handling some business. Don't worry about it. I love you and I'll see you guys later," he said as he kissed Sally on the cheek and closed the door behind him.

"What was that all about?" Cruz asked, giving Sally a concerned look.

"I don't know. He seemed pretty upset. I hope he doesn't do something stupid," Sally said as she continued to prepare her pancakes.

"I hope so too," Cruz said as she mumbled to herself.

"After breakfast, I want to take you out for a drive," Sally said as she poured syrup on her freshly made pancakes.

"Where are we going?" Cruz asked as she took a bite of her toast.

"We're not going too far. You'll see when we get there," Sally said with a smile.

* * *

Jackson was in the IGNTR building watching some of his old racing footage. He clenched his teeth everytime Cruz crossed the finish line before him. He balled his right hand into a fist and slammed it on the table in front of him. His body trembled with rage as he let out a blood-curdling scream. The scream echoed throughout the room, yet no one rushed to his aid. He placed his head in his hands and slouched over the table. He was alone with his own wretched soul, or so he thought.

"Hey Storm!" a voice called from across the room.

Jackson immediately rose up from his position on the table. His familiarity with the voice was enough to send chills down his spine. He couldn't believe who he saw standing in front of him.

"Oh no," Jackson mumbled to himself as he glared at Lightning.

Lightning gave Jackson a meager grin. "Oh yes. We need to talk," he said with a stern tone.

Jackson turned his back to the former veteran racer. He couldn't bear to gaze into his calculating, blue eyes.

"We don't need to do anything," he said with a huff. "You need to get out of here before I call security."

Lightning shook his head. "Look, Storm, I'm not leaving until we have this conversation."

Jackson squirmed in his seat while he sneered to himself. "What are you doing here anyway? Don't you have a restraining order against me?" he asked as he turned slightly.

"I don't have a restraining order against you, Cruz does," Lightning explained matter-of-factly.

"What's the difference? You two are practically the same person," Jackson said in a sarcastic tone.

Lightning sighed as he placed his hand on his forehead. Talking to Jackson was like walking across a patch of sizzling coals with bare feet.

"I didn't come here to argue with you, Storm. I just want to talk," Lightning said as he attempted to remain calm.

"There's nothing to talk about, now get out!" Jackson yelled as he turned up the volume of the racing footage.

Lightning walked over to the television set and unplugged the cable box.

"Hey! What the hell is your problem man?!" Jackson yelled as stomped over to Lightning.

"I told you that I wanted to talk."

"And I told you to leave! I'm giving you five seconds to get out of here. If you don't leave, I'm calling security."

"Look, Storm, I just-"

"Five… four…"

"Storm, just listen to me," Lightning pleaded.

"Three… two…" Jackson continued to count.

"Fine. Call security. I'm not leaving this spot until I get what I came here for," Lightning said in an austere tone.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sally and Cruz were on the road, enjoying their leisurely drive. Cruz was still oblivious to their final destination, but she enjoyed the ride nonetheless. She marveled at the picturesque scenery of the desert lands as Sally drove the car along the curvaceous road. As they traversed into a nearby forest, Cruz was in awe of the tall trees that towered over them. The waterfall was as mystical as she remembered it. The water graciously cascaded down to the bridge, causing a mist to flow over the car. After passing the majestic waterfall, Cruz knew (almost instantly) that they were going to Wheel Well. Sure enough, Sally pulled into one of the parking spots outside of the ancient building. Sally shut off the car as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Cruz stared at her in bewilderment.

"What are we doing here?" Cruz asked as she took off her seatbelt.

Sally opened her eyes and turned to look at Cruz. "Honey, I brought you here because I have something very important for you to do," Sally said with a serious look.

Cruz's heart started to pound. Her palms were itchy and she began to sweat.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Cruz said as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

Sally continued to stare at Cruz. She reached her arm out and placed her hand on Cruz's forearm.

"Cruz, I need you to listen to me carefully. The task that I'm asking you to do will be a difficult one."

"Sally, you're scaring me. What do you want me to do?" Cruz said as her heart continued to race.

Sally swallowed the lump in her throat. She stared into Cruz's anxious eyes and started to rub her forearm.

"I need you to allow yourself to feel," she said.

Cruz's mouth hung open as she narrowed her eyes at Sally. "Wait, what?"

"You heard me, hon. You might've been in a good mood this morning, but I know that there are certain things that you've got bottled up on the inside. You need to let all of those unresolved emotions out."

Cruz scoffed at Sally's proposal. "Trust me, Sally, I'm fine. There are no hidden emotions that need to be expressed. I'm totally over this situation," she said with a crooked smile as she tried to make herself sound believable.

Sally knew better. She knew that Cruz was hiding a deep hurt within her soul.

"Look, honey, the more you resist, the harder it becomes."

"I'm not doing this!" Cruz protested as she tried to open the car door. As much as she tugged on the door handle, it wouldn't open. "Let me out please," she said as she continued to jiggle the handle.

"I'm not leaving until we get this over with," Sally said in a stern tone.

* * *

"What did you just say?" Jackson asked as he scowled at Lightning.

"I think you heard me," Lightning said with a sly smile.

Jackson grimaced once he heard those words. He remembered the moment when he used that same phrase on the veteran racer years ago. The sting that he felt from those words was as real as the moment he used them on Lightning. His blood began to boil. He glared at the mature man standing in front of him. He made a fist with his right hand. All he wanted to do was wipe that smug smile off of Lightning's face. Although he desperately wanted to throw the first punch, his mind raced back to the beating that he received from Lightning last year. He may be younger and faster (on the racetrack), but McQueen was stronger. He knew that he wouldn't make it out of another fight alive. He wanted to press the button to alert the security guards, but he couldn't get his body to move. It was as if Lightning telepathically placed a spell on him. He was stuck between a deathmatch and a security button.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Jackson said as he glared at Lightning.

An eerie silence fell between them. The awkwardness was overwhelming, even for someone as impassive as Jackson Storm.

"What do you want?" he asked as he gave a loud sigh.

"I want answers," Lightning said as he folded his arms.

"For what?!" Jackson yelled.

"I just need to know why you did it. Why did you hurt those women?"

"What are you talking about, McQueen?" Jackson asked as he shook his head.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. Why did you hurt Natalie and Cruz?!" Lightning yelled as he banged his hands on the table.

Jackson glared at him. The rage was flowing through his veins. "I knew it! You're here to talk about Cruz. Look, I don't care that she told you about Natalie. Hell, I don't even care about this stupid situation anymore."

"Since you don't care, why don't you just tell me why you did it?"

"Why do you care? All you want to do is help Cruz," Jackson said as he sat back down at the table.

Lightning walked over to the area and sat in front of Jackson. "Yes, I am here because of Cruz. To be honest, I'd do anything to keep her safe. If helping her means helping you, then I'm willing to do that."

"Give me a break, McQueen. You hate my guts! Why would you help me now?"

"Look, Jackson, I hated the things that you did, but I never hated you," Lightning said in a gentle tone.

Jackson shook his head and chuckled to himself. While he seemed unmoved by Lightning's confession, he couldn't help but wonder if it was true. Why would Lightning come all this way just to talk to him? Why did he welcome Jackson into the family, knowing that he almost ended his racing career? Jackson couldn't explain the sudden relief that rushed over him after hearing Lightning's statement. It's almost as if this guy was willing to give him a second chance. It was a chance that he knew he didn't deserve.

"That's good to know. Can you leave now?" Jackson said as he tried to blink back the tears that formed in his eyes.

Lightning stared at Jackson with concern. He saw Jackson's facade just crumble in front of him. He saw that pain that Jackson was trying hard to suppress. He wasn't going to give up on him, not now.

"Talk to me, Jackson. Why did you do it?"

"What makes you think that I can trust you?" Jackson asked as his gaze darted away from Lightning.

"You have to trust somebody right? Look, Jackson, you may not believe this but I'm a man of my word. Whatever you say in confidence will stay between us."

Jackson continued to stare at the television set. His hands began to shake and his throat became dry. He refused to look into Lightning's eyes, out of fear that he would see right through his bravado. As much as he'd like to deny it, he felt that Lightning was telling the truth. He never spoke to Gale or Ray about his personal life. He never had the chance to tell anyone how he really felt about the situation. What did he have to lose?

Jackson took a shaky breath. He tapped his foot on the floor repeatedly, as if he had a nervous twitch. He glanced over at Lightning, who was eagerly waiting to hear his explanation.

"My mother was a junkie. After my dad died when I was six, she got addicted to drugs. She would leave me alone in the apartment just to go get high in a crack house. I learned how to fend for myself. When I was eleven, she started abusing me. She would sometimes shove me into a wall, throw things at me or just slap me around whenever she felt like it. I moved out when I was seventeen. I got a job at some grocery store in LA. There was an arcade nearby. I used to spend all of my time in there, just trying to get my mind off of things. When I finally got into racing, I was determined to maintain my success by any means necessary. I never meant to hurt Cruz. She just got in the way. I didn't know how to manage all that anger that I kept inside so I took my frustrations out on her. I promised myself that I would never turn out like my mom, but we both know how that turned out. Are my answers to your satisfaction?"

Lightning sat there in silence. Although he empathized with Jackson's struggle, he just couldn't condone the suffering that he put Cruz through. He got up from his chair and wrapped his arm around Jackson's shoulders.

"You're going to be okay, Jackson. You just need some help," Lightning said as he handed Jackson a white card with a number written on it.

"Why are you giving me this?" he asked as he looked at the card in confusion.

"The ball is in your court. Are you willing to take that shot?" Lightning asked as he walked out of the room.

* * *

"Excuse me?" Cruz asked as she tried to open the door.

"I said I'm not leaving. Either you allow yourself to heal or you walk all the way back to town. It's your call. I can only point you in the right direction, it's up to you to take that path. I'm not going to sit here and watch you self-destruct."

"It's been a year since all of this happened. I'm fine. I moved on," Cruz said in a stern tone.

"Are you going to keep telling yourself that until you believe it?"

Sally's question pierced Cruz's soul like a dagger being thrust into her chest. The tears started to stream down her cheeks.

"Just let it out," Sally whispered.

She unlocked the car doors. Cruz opened the door and walked near the edge of the cliff. She stood there in silence as the wind whistled across the desert skies. The view captivated her as she saw an aerial view of the town. Her lips began to quiver as an intense heat spread in her chest. The anger was boiling within. Her mind flashed back to the countless moments of abuse. Even now, she could feel the sting of Jackson's hand striking her across the face. The rage continued to fester in her body. She couldn't take it anymore.

She began to scream. Her blood-curdling shrieks echoed throughout Ornament Valley. Sally sat in the car, covering her mouth with her hands. Tears fell down her cheeks as she watched Cruz cry out in agony. After a long period of screaming, Cruz sat down on the ground and began to weep bitterly. She buried her face in her hands as her body shook from the force of her cries. Sally immediately ran out of the car and sat on the ground next to Cruz. She wrapped the helpless child in her arms and rocked her back and forth. The two sat on the cliff's edge in silence. Once Cruz finally calmed down, she pulled away from Sally's embrace and looked into her eyes.

"You know, I wrote a letter to myself the day that I came here. I encouraged myself to keep praying to God because He would make it all better. I've never felt so unsure about my faith. I feel like all of my prayers have just hit the ceiling. I thought I would be over this by now. I tried to hold on to hope, but where did that get me? All I wanted was to be loved. I wanted to be able to share that love with someone else. Was I wrong for wanting that?"

"No, honey. We all want that. You shouldn't put a timeline on your healing process. These things take time."

"How much time? I was so naive. I really believed that Jackson was the one. I thought that he could change. It seems like every time I open my heart up to someone, it always ends up getting crushed. How long do I have to suffer?" Cruz asked as she continued to cry.

"Honey, sometimes things happen that we have no control over. You need to hold on to hope."

"I've been holding on to that for dear life! I almost lost my grip. I almost thought of ending it all. I thought that no one would care if I just disappeared."

"That's not true! Lightning would be devastated, and so would I. As a matter of fact, we all would be devastated. Listen to me, Cruz, you are going to get through this. You need to allow yourself to breathe and just be still. Hold on to your faith, hold on to hope, and hold on tight to the people that care about you the most. I love you, sweetie," Sally said as she gave Cruz another hug.

"Thank you for everything," Cruz said with a smile.

"Don't mention it, hon. Now let's go back home and get you something to eat," Sally said as they got up from the ground and headed to the car.

"Wait, can we just enjoy this sunset for a minute?" Cruz asked as she and Sally stopped to admire the breathtaking sunset on the horizon.

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
